The present invention pertains to hose connectors, and in particular to a connector which is specially suited for soft-walled conduit, especially hose composed of polyurethane.
Polyurethane hose is becoming increasingly popular due to its abrasion resistance, oil resistance, flexibility (even under cold operating temperatures) and light weight. However, presently-known hose connector devices are inadequate for use with polyurethane hose. More specifically, connecting devices which fail to completely circumscribe and uniformly compress the polyurethane hose inevitably suffer from leakage of the fluid being passed therethrough. Furthermore, polyurethane hose has a pronounced tendency to cold-flow or "creep", and will slip out of connectors which merely attempt to clamp the hose wall between a pair of compressing elements. Also, due to its softness, polyurethane hose is susceptible to cutting along protruding edges of connectors, and its operative life is thereby prematurely ended by many types of conventional hose connectors designed for other materials.